So there I was, making my way through the tattered furniture at the Habitat Restore when I came across 2 of these little blue tweed armchairs. They were $40 each… Too much considering the work that they would require to bring them around. The wood was in rough shape, the cushions were nearly disintegrated, and I already had a shed full of furniture in the lineup for restoration. Also, I love mid century modern, and these were definitely more mid century traditional(Is that such a thing?). Anyway, I kept walking by, not gonna do it, until… The story. I’m a sucker for a story. I love to hear people tell stories, basically about anything. So, when I passed by the chairs on my way out, I stopped one more time and contemplated. I sat in one of the chairs and was approached by a volunteer that was working there. She was fond of the chairs, too. In fact, they were hers. She had just donated them. She proceeded to tell me the history. Her parents bought the chairs at a local hometown furniture store in 1955, in our little town. Her Dad was a professor at the Community College and she said that everyday her dad would sit in the one chair and read. She said that was why the one chair was more worn than the other, it was his favorite. She continued to tell me how when she was little she’d sit on his lap and he’d read to her, too. The woman held onto the chairs for sentimental value, but couldn’t afford to have them reupholstered so she decided to part with them. They’d been in her family for almost 60 years!!! Oh boy… All of the sudden, I was on a mission to take these chairs into my care and give them a fresh new life. It was like I owed something to the lady to carry the torch for her. Isn’t that ridiculous? There was something about the fact that they were loved before that made me want to give them a second chance. It probably sounds bizarre. I guess I’m just nostalgic like that.

Well, they’re sitting in my living room right now…Getting lots of love.